Following agreement by MEPs and the European Parliament, the EU Council of Ministers has formally approved the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU. The Council vote means the Directive has cleared the last procedural hurdle and was adopted on 24 November 2010 and published in the Official Journal on 17 December 2010. It will enter into force on 6 January 2011, although a transposition period of two years will be given to Member States during which they can begin implementing the new legislation.
The IED recasts seven existing Directives relating to industrial emissions into a single piece of legislation. It will replace the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive 2008/1/EC, the Large Combustion Plants Directive 2001/80/EC, the Waste Incineration Directive 2000/76/EC and the Solvents Emissions Directive 1999/13/EC. It also recasts Directives 78/176/EEC, 82/883/EEC and 92/112/EEC, on Titanium Dioxide into its framework.
The IED attempts to clarify the rules for reducing harmful industrial emissions across the EU, which it is hoped will better protect human health and the environment, particularly through improved application of Best Available Techniques (BATs). Installations covered by IPPC rules must apply BAT and demonstrate an appropriate environmental performance to receive an IPPC permit.
Further, the IED imposes a tougher emissions regime, with limits for nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and dust, and for large combustion plants (including fossil fuel power stations) brought into line with BAT. It is intended that there will be a level playing field, since industrial installation operators are to uniformly apply BAT.
